Case Study:Mesher Supply

Celebrating 100 Years of Success with Family, Community & Partnership

“The system allows us to easily see at all times what we have on-hand, making it so much easier to keep accurate levels consistently.”

After 100 years in business, Mesher Supply attributes their longtime success to strong leadership, a dedication to investing in staff and a commitment to the community. With locations in Portland, Seaside & Redmond, Oregon, Mesher plans to keep the company thriving using DDI System’s Inform ERP Software.

Putting the ‘Family’ in ‘Family Business’

From the moment you enter Mesher Supply, it’s clear you are among family. “Normally, we have kids running around here,” says Director of Operations Connecticut Longaker, part of the fourth family generation to run the business. Her mother-in-law, Barbara Longaker, is the company’s current President and the founder’s granddaughter.

“Mesher is in my husband’s family,” she explains, “but he’s been running his own company with his brother for years.” In 2012, Connecticut’s in-laws asked her, along with her sister-in-law, Nicole Longaker, to lead Mesher full-time, transitioning from their part-time roles in the midst of starting families. “I want to run the business successfully so that when my children grow up, it’s here for them, and they will be just as proud of the accomplishments and staying power of Mesher as I have been,” Connecticut says.

Overcoming Technology Challenges

From a shared office space inside their 100-year-old building, Connecticut describes the frustrations the company endured in its previous technology. “Our old system had too many constraints,” she says. “We ended up spending an exorbitant amount of money trying to add on components and features to make it work the way we needed it to. It never did, and we never went live.”

Connecticut took one full year to research and evaluate solutions to better position Mesher for growth and efficiency. “I knew that nothing would be perfect, but the idea was to find something that would allow us to make the transition in a smooth manner.”